Thursday, 30 April 2015

A Little Change

I realized that even though it feels like I started this blog just yesterday, I am on week four! Since it came to my attention that I was hitting this one month milestone, I decided to look back at my post archive to see which ones are my favourites, which ones I enjoyed writing most, and which ones aren't really up my street.

That being said, throwback Thursdays have consistently been posts that I've loved. I really like what I've posted on those days, but I realized that the lessons have been more important to me than the specific memories. I started this blog as a creative outlet; being out of school I wanted a way that I could express myself and occupy my time in a constructive way. Having only one day in my structure to do something of my complete choosing about anything that pops into my mind was something that really bothered me.

As you could have guessed from the title, I am making a slight change. Instead of throw back Thursdays, I am going to do random thought Thursdays. That doesn't mean I won't ever do throw backs, but I don't like that I pigeon-holed myself to only one truly creative day per week. Random thought Thursdays are going to be a lot like Chatty Tuesdays in that they are both days that I can talk about anything I choose to talk about. I am still going to be keeping Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday as they are (make me up Monday, what I'm wearing Wednesday, food Friday, and my gratitude challenge post on Sundays).

I'm really excited for this fresh change- I feel like I'm already getting so many ideas for new posts!

Wednesday, 29 April 2015

Liebster Award Nomination

I'm so thankful to have been nominated by Poppy Hope for a Liebster Award! I have had my blog for only a month now and I'm so surprised at not only how much I enjoy it but also how supportive and kind everybody on this platform is. Definitely check out Poppy's blog, it's one of my favourites that I follow on Bloglovin'. She has got an amazing blog with really great posts!

3. Nominate small blogs who have less than 200 followers. You should believe that they deserve this award and include their link in your post.

4. Create 11 new questions for your nominees to answer. Notify these nominees via social media/blog.

1. When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging a month ago now and I'm really loving it. I started the blog mainly because I am taking this year off of university and I wanted to find a constructive way to occupy my time. I love reading blogs so I figured I'd loving writing one (and I do!)\2. What is the topic of your blog? Why did you choose it?

I'm not sure my blog has a specific "topic", it's kind of a mix of a few different things. I love shopping and make-up and all that beauty/girly stuff, but I also really love good food and being artistic so I decided to make my blog a mixture of all the things I love. 3. Where is the most interesting place you have visited?

I've never really had the opportunity to travel much since travelling anywhere from where I live requires either days of driving or expensive flights. I have, however, been to Ottawa which is the capital of Canada (the country I live in) and it was so cool! I really loved it- so much so that I'm moving there!!4. Do you have an obsession? If so, what is it?

I have a few obsessions... chocolate milk, fuzzy slippers, home made ice cream, walking through bush trails, amazing smelling candles...you catch my drift, I have many things I'm "obsessed" with.5. Who is your favourite famous person?

Hands down Angelina Jolie.6. What is a fun fact about you?

Hmm... I'm a really good party planner? Not so fun, but it is a fact ha ha.7. Where is your favourite place to eat?

My home (boring). I love to cook and I love to eat home made cooking a lot more than restaurant food.8. What is your pet hate?

Rude people. I've got no time for people who are just mean.9. What is your favourite colour?

#OOTD

Today was actually quite a sunny day here and 10 degrees Celsius! I wore my mint lace flats from Wal-Mart because I am absolutely obsessed with them. My jeans are from Forever 21, my shirt is from a thrift shop, and my cardigan is from Hollister. My purse is from a vintage clothing store. It is a hard cover bag from the 70's and I absolutely love it!

Tuesday, 28 April 2015

April Faves

I can't possibly be the only person who loves favourite posts/videos since they are absolutely everywhere in the last week of every month! So here is what I have been loving throughout the month of April...

Skin

The first thing I have been loving this month is the Biore deep cleansing pore strips. I know these aren't a new thing as they've been around for a long time, however I've never found the combo pack like this in my city. My trouble areas for blackheads and clogged pores have always been my nose and chin. Finding these was so exciting for me as I knew they worked and now they could also work their magic on my chin as well as my nose!

The second skin care item is the Clinique take the day off cleansing milk. If you've seen any of my previous posts you will know that I am a total Clinique junkie. When I buy new products from Clinique now I have very high expectations and this product did not disappoint. It removes face make-up as well as eye make-up (including waterproof mascara) like a dream. The milky/creamy formulation makes for a very moisturizing and gentle experience. The back of the bottle says that it is "appropriate for all skin types; ideal for drier skins." This is what immediately drew me in. If you have dry skin you will totally understand the struggle of finding a make-up remover that doesn't do more harm than good.

Make-up

I haven't been too adventurous with make-up this month; I have been sticking to my everyday make-up routine that I have been doing for months (super boring, I know). However I have introduced a new mascara to my collection. The Covergirl lastblast volume in waterproof has been my new go to mascara (even over my old favourite Smashbox Fullexposure mascara). The thickness of the application wand deterred me at first but I can definitely get past it for this product. The formulation is amazing, even with one coat my lashes look long and full of volume. With a second coat I get almost a false lash effect without the hassle of applying false lashes. The waterproof version of this product is also amazing for allergy season.

Hair

I was on the all natural argan oil train until I discovered this product by Herbal Essences. The 7 in 1 Moroccan Me a Miracle serum does have argan oil in it, but I find that this product does so much more for my hair than a regular argan oil does. After using this, my hair is soft, shiny, not weighed down at all, and really easy to manage (it also smells amazing). I have had this bottle for months and it hasn't even gotten down to half yet; you need only the smallest amount of the product so the bottle lasts for ages.I have been on the hunt for a good dry shampoo for a few months now and I am so pleased that I've finally found one that I can say I really like; Pantene Pro-V blowout extend dry shampoo. I think Pantene is a really good brand first of all, and this product in particular is really nice. It gives volume, texture, weightless moisture and shine all while controlling oils. What more can you ask from a dry shampoo?

Nails

Move over Essie, there's two new kids in town who whip your bum! This pink colour (Rosey 180) from Sally Hansen is absolutely gorgeous on the nail first of all, but the Miracle Gel polish line truly is a miracle to the nail world. Without light, the gel formulation is sealed only with a topcoat, and lasts for absolutely ages! I've had this on my toes for 3 weeks and not a single chip yet.

Revlon nail enamel has always been one of my favourite brands for nail polishes as I love the colours, the formula, and the applicator brush is nice and small which I much prefer over a large brush since I can be quite messy. This orange shade is my absolute favourite in the entire line (Privileged 715) and a perfect colour for spring .

Fashion

I noticed once the snow melted that I didn't have many spring shoes (Northern Ontario usually doesn't get a legitimate spring- we go from winter to summer) so whilst I was walking through Wal-Mart, believe it or not, I found these two cute pairs of shoes (I can't find links for them, sorry!). The mint lace pumps are so cute and so comfortable and were only $8.00! The grey shoes are also just as cute and comfortable and were also very well priced at $10.00. You can see I have been loving these shoes a lot this month as they already need to be cleaned despite the warmer weather just starting.

Music

I am not typically a fan of song covers but this one I could listen to on repeat forever. I don't know who these people are really as my friend sent me the song (and I immediately passed it on to another friend of mine), however I absolutely love their voices together; she sounds like an angel. When they went into the Ed Sheeran song I was smitten and sold.This is going to be one of my favourite songs for a long while I do believe.

Books

I have taken an interest in cooking over this past year. Since I live at home though, I have the ability to use lots of ingredients and I usually have as much time as I need to prepare whatever feast I have imagined. I'm going to college in the fall, so I picked up The Ultimate Student Cookbook to try to curtail my lavish cooking habits. I've tried a couple recipes from this book and have not been disappointed at all. The book is divided into 8 sections plus a little forward about staple pantry ingredients and food hygiene. The sections include: 1. Breakfast with Tiffany 2. Real fast food 3. Food on the move 4. Healthy days for the girls 5. The boys are back in town 6. Tiff's Tuesdays 7. Wasted weekends 8. House parties and 9. Tiff's treats. Just to clear something up, the author of the book is called Tiffany ha ha.

The fiction book I have been reading this month is Husband and Wife by Zeruya Shalev. I'm only about half way through but I am completely hooked and will probably finish this book within the next few days. It's about a diseased marriage that comes to head when one morning the husband wakes up unable to move his legs with no clear explanation at first. The doctors then find that the problem is a lot less tangible than they could have ever imagined. All while this is happening, secrets of the marriage start to work themselves out into the common space between the husband and the wife that may or may not tear their family apart.

Random

I have recently gotten into a little rut with my breakfasts. I find myself eating oatmeal every morning! The Quaker one minute oats are so convenient because they are cooked stove top (microwave oatmeal is not my cup of tea at all) but don't take 20 minutes to cook like traditional oatmeal does. This oatmeal is still 100% whole grain Canadian oats, the secret to the faster cooking time is they are cut thinner than traditional oats. I cook 1/4 cup oats in 1/2 cup 2% milk and top with cinnamon and raw cacao bits.

I have recently replaced my morning coffee with a cup of cocoa. Cocoa powder has tonnes of health benefits and naturally has caffeine so it does help to wake me up but, unlike coffee, does not effect my heart as much and doesn't make me shake. I also don't feel completely drained all day if I miss my morning cocoa where as I did before when I would miss my morning coffee. I really don't plan on ever getting back into the coffee vortex.

I picked up the delicious donuts sign from an antiques shop in a town an hour away from my city. It seemed the whole town was antique shops! It was one main road with 2 restaurants, a church, a library, a bank, a town hall, 2 gas stations, and 4 ANTIQUE SHOPS! It seemed a bit like over kill to me, but my friend and I went in all four and I stumbled across this little gem. When I walked into the shop I saw it immediately and bolted for it. It's just so cute! I picked up some other little bits as well but haven't gotten the chance to fully fall in love with them yet.

My last favourite of April is the candle. On our way to the town with the antique shops we stopped off at another little town and found a shop with a bunch of cute little bits and bobs. This candle was a bit more than I would typically spend on a candle at about $20.00 but it is made locally and I think it's really important to support local business. It's also all natural and clean burning. Besides those amazing qualities, it legitimately smells like cupcake frosting! I can't think of many other scents better than cupcake frosting.

So that wraps up my April favourites. I think April has been really good to me and I hope May is just as wonderful. I want to start being more adventurous with make-up this coming month as well as bring more spring and summer clothing into my wardrobe in hopes that we may actually get a day above 10 degrees Celsius here!

Procrastination Beauty Tag

The ones I use daily get washed on Sundays but the ones I only use for special occasion make-up get washed after said occasion.

3. How long will you last with chipped nail polish?

Well, I work in a department store so there is rarely a time that my nail polish isn't chipped.

4. How long will you put off buying/replacing a beauty product even if you need it?

I don't. I'm one of those people who if I see a product getting low then I will buy a replacement so I never have to worry about running out before I buy a new one.

5. What is your worst beauty habit?

I tend to forget to exfoliate for an extended period of time and not notice until my skin is gross looking and flaky.

6. Name something non-beauty related that you put off doing all the time.

Laundry... I really don't like doing laundry.

7. When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready to the last minute?

Definitely not. I usually have as much fun doing my hair and make-up and picking my outfit as I do going out so I usually tend to start getting ready too early!

8. Can you commit to spending bans?

I think clothing wise I could for sure as I'm not a huge fashionista. However as far as make-up, skin products, hair products, etc go I have gotten to a point where my things run out in turn so I never really have to go splurge as my things don't all run out at the same time. So committing so spending no money is unrealistic for me as I may need to buy one new thing every couple of weeks. It's my own way of managing my funds and it seems to work!

9. How organized are your make-up and nail polish collections?

My make-up is fairly organized. Everything is where I like it and want it from my products to my brushes. My nail polish I like to think is organized, but I'm sure from an outside perspective it's just a bunch of nail polish in a Tupperware container.

Sunday, 26 April 2015

1. Why start this challenge?

I have decided to start this challenge and to post this on here to hopefully inspire some other people to take on this one year challenge. I came across this challenge on a bible study website I use on a fairly regular basis and decided almost immediately that I would do it. I am so grateful for everything I have in my life but I will admit that I'm not always the best at expressing my gratitude and I don't always notice how blessed I really am. If I take the time out of my day to sit down and show my gratitude toward all 52 of these topics, I feel that I will be a more gracious person.

I don't want to overlook all the blessings I have in my life any more. I want to show my gratitude in this way so if ever there is a day I am feeling really down and ungrateful I can look back at these posts and remember just how truly blessed I am and how many things I am grateful for.

Friday, 24 April 2015

Cocoa and Cookies

Oh my goodness, just looking at this photo makes me hungry! Cocoa and my oatmeal cookies is my all time favourite snack. I have to consciously ration myself with these cookies or else I will end up eating an entire batch in one day.

Cocoa

*Makes 2 cups of cocoa*

Ingredients

2 cups milk (I use 2%)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (I use Hershey's 100% cocoa)

2 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Measure the milk into a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Heat to your preference (I usually wait until it begins to bubble, right before it would boil).

2. Remove from burner. Use a fork to scrape the film from the top.

3. Add in the cocoa powder and mix as well as you can.

4. Add the sugar and vanilla. Mix well.

5. Get a strainer and your mug. Strain the cocoa into your mug so you don't have cocoa powder lumps in your drink.

6. Enjoy! You can top this with whipped cream or anything else of your choosing but it is delicious just as it is!

Oatmeal Cookies

*Makes 30-36 cookies typically*

Ingredients

1 cup butter (softened or melted)*

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

11/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup boiling water

2 cups quick oats

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, both sugars, and vanilla.

3. Add flour, mix well.

4. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Mix in to large bowl with other ingredients.

5. Stir in oats.

6. Add cinnamon and dark chocolate chips and mix in (these are optional add ins but I highly recommend them both!)

7. Place 1 teaspoon balls of the dough onto an un-greased cookie sheet.

8. Bake for 10 minutes (should be golden brown on bottom and around edges).

9. Remove from oven and let cool on pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

10. Enjoy!

*If you soften the butter the cookie dough will be more firm and the cookies will not fall as much in the oven. If you melt the butter the dough will be more sticky and runny and the cookies will turn out as pictured. Both ways are fine, they both taste amazing, and both ways make chewy cookies. It's up to you if you want bigger, flatter cookies or smaller, more round cookies.

Thursday, 23 April 2015

Toxic Friends

2010

I have always been a naturally small person. This photo was taken when I was in the tenth grade with two of my best friends from my swim team (the one on the end in the beige skirt is still one of my best friends). I am in the black skirt and white top without the sun glasses on; the one in the very front. I was probably 16 years old in this photo and weighed about 105 pounds. I was always a very clean eater, a very active girl, and always conscious of my health.

2012

When I was in the twelfth grade I quit the swim team so I could focus on school to make sure I got into a good university. The three girls in this photo with me (I'm in the centre taking the photo) were my best friends. The one on the right side had been one of my best friends since the ninth grade, the one on my left since eleventh grade, and the one behind just came to our school that year but fit in to our group perfectly.

I think everyone can relate to having different groups of friends; the girls in the 2010 photo were my "fit friends". Even outside of swim practice we would go to the gym, we would discuss new recipes together, and we would try new fitness classes. The girls in the 2012 photograph were the kind of friends who like to, let's just say, indulge. I found that instead of working my butt off for university applications, we would be skipping class to go get a poutine, and pulling all nighters to get drunk instead of to study. It was definitely the epitome of a carefree senior year. By the grace of God and the skin of my teeth I managed to just squeak by the university acceptance minimums, not to mention my health was visibly deteriorating (I was pushing 150 pounds on my petite 5'2" frame).

2013

This photo was taken my first year of university on St. Patty's day. It is actually painful for me to look at this. My skin looks awful, I'm overweight, and I'm so drunk I don't actually remember this photo being taken.

This photo was how I knew I needed to make a change. It wasn't easy, I will never claim that it was, but I think the changes I made are completely worth it. The first thing I did was look back at my life and see where things went wrong and why. It was after many tears and attempts at denial that I finally admitted to myself that these girls, whom I loved so much, were no good for me.

I can recall very vividly a conversation we all once had where one of the girls said that she felt sad all the time. She was pissed at the world and hated everyone. I then remember saying something along the lines of, "holy shit girl, I swear I genuinely like almost everyone I meet, like I'm so happy all the time." The response of my other friend, the one who I considered my best friend since the ninth grade quickly retorted, "I know, your happiness annoys me." It wasn't the weight. It wasn't the alcohol. It wasn't anything except this conversation that pushed my decision to cut ties with them. I realized that those words should never come out of the mouth of someone who called you friend from the same lips.

We all went to the same university and were in a lot of the same classes; the process of cutting ties was very ugly. I wish it hadn't been that way but I can only control myself and my words and my actions.

2014

I found myself growing back into a natural friendship with my swim team girls. We had maintained a fairly strong friendship while we were all at university and when they came home for the summer we all fell back into our old swing of things. We enjoyed many bike rides around the city, we went to the pool, and we went to the gym. We also did tonnes of fun stuff like going dancing at the outdoor bar and heading to the beach! I felt like I was finally getting myself back on track and back to who I was (we are still so close, and the blonde is still one of my best friends!)

2015

I met these two in first year university and instantly fell in love with them. Cutting ties with my friends from high school was so much easier with these two hooligans by my side. They are such beautiful people and I couldn't ask for better best friends. They are so supportive, and adventurous, and kind hearted, and loving. I am now back to a healthy weight, my skin is better than it ever has been, and I have been accepted to college in the fall. I have gotten my life back on track.

I feel like there's so much talk about letting go of a toxic relationship in a romantic capacity, but I don't think enough people realize that friendships can be just as toxic and harmful and detrimental to your well being. I know it's really hard to see how toxic your friendships may be, but if you notice it I really hope you can cut ties. No one deserves a best friend who doesn't treat them the best. I know high school is tough and feeling like you belong somewhere is important but to what cost? The friendship I had with those girls is invaluable; I still care about them more than they would ever believe if they gave me the opportunity to tell them. It makes me sad to think that our friendship came to end, but I am so grateful that, thanks to learning who I'm not, I have been able to grow into who I am.

Wednesday, 22 April 2015

#OOTD

I love this outfit. Like, I seriously love this outfit. Starting at the top I have my knock off aviators from Winners which I love because they're not as big as traditional aviators so they fit better on my small face. My pastel purple baby doll style top is also from Winners. This shirt was a bargain as the original retail price was $36.00 and the Winners price was $19.99, then when I went up to pay it scanned up only $8.00! It's always such a nice surprise when that happens!

Moving on, my cardigan is one I've had for ages from Hollister. I'm wearing charcoal grey leggings from Forever 21 which were also a bargain at just $6.00! My only gripe about these leggings is that I wish I had gotten a medium instead of a small since they are quite tight fitting (even though I measured a small on their size chart). Finally, my shoes, believe it or not, are from Walmart. When I walked by I just fell in love and had to have them! They're such a cute pastel mint and the lace on them is super girly.

I ended up adding a little white camisole from Garage because I wasn't quite comfortable going out as I was since the neck line is quite revealing and the top is a bit sheer. I really hope you like this outfit! If you know of any websites that sell super cute, girly, pastel clothes please let me know!

Tuesday, 21 April 2015

What's on my iPhone?

So this is a thing right, seeing what's on other peoples phones? I know personally that I am super nosey and I watch these videos on YouTube like crazy because I love to see what apps people have on their phone (maybe I'm just super weird).

I have the white and rose gold iPhone 6 and I absolutely love it. I can't think of one thing I don't like about this phone to be completely honest. My background is a picture I found on Tumblr. I just think it's so pretty with the colours and the sparkle, plus I'm a huge Disney fan.

So this is what my iPhone looks like when I unlock it. I leave most of the things that come on the phone where they are and organize the things I choose to put on it myself. Out of the apps that come on the phone I use calendar, photos, camera, weather, maps, notes, iTunes store, App Store, Podcasts and FaceTime. I switched out the Safari app for the Google app as I just much prefer it.

As you can see, I don't keep up well with my notifications. Thanks to the quick view feature for notifications, I don't open my messages if I don't need to reply. I do, however, check my e-mail on a very frequent basis.

The first folder I have is what I call "Money Stuff". I have my banking app, my phone bill app and two apps I use to shop. Wish is the best app ever; it's just a bunch of extremely discounted things from fashion to beauty to home decor. I have the Amazon app as well which I think most people are already familiar with.

In my extras folder I put the things I don't use so that I can fit the folders I need on my home screen (I have a weird OCD complex about having everything on one page). The apps I use in the extras folder are NIV Bible and Podcasts (I listen to The Village Church sermons every week). I also use the FaceTime app to keep in touch with friends and family out of town. There is a second page to this folder where I have the apple watch app and the safari app.

In my photography folder I have all the apps I use in conjunction with my camera and photos. I do all my Instagram editing on InstaSize (it has filters, stickers, overlays, etc and it's all free!). I have iMovie because I have recently been playing around with it, toying with the idea of starting a YouTube channel. Crazy Heliumbooth is probably the most entertaining app ever. You choose from different visual effects and voice alterations to create a video up to 30 seconds long. My friend and I love to send each other videos we have made on this app as they are absolutely hilarious. The only time I use Photoblur is when there is someone in a photograph that I don't have permission from to post on social media.

My games folder is fairly barren and that is only because I am so addicted to these three games that I don't care to have any others. Hill Climb was my original addiction but now that I've maxed everything out it isn't quite as fun. If I am on my phone there is a 90% chance I'm playing Clash of Clans... it's bad guys. The game 1010! is one my dad and I discovered and now we play only to try and keep beating each others high score.

My health folder is probably my most used (nope not my social media folder). GoodGuide is an app that allows you to search for a product or scan an items bar code and it provides you with the ingredients, the health facts and an overall score of how "good" the product is. I have a meditation app that just times 10, 15, 20, and 30 minutes. I've been meditating for about 5 months now daily and I'm still only at 15 minutes but I'm hoping to be at 30 minutes a day by the end of the year. iDrated is my water app. For some reason I never feel thirsty and so I downloaded this app to make sure that I get enough water every day. Whenever I have a drink I track it on the app and if I go too long without having a drink the app will remind me that I need to stay hydrated! Health is one of those apps that come with the iPhone. I have my allergy information on the app so that if an emergency presents itself anyone can access that information from my lock screen. The last app I have is DailyYoga which is pretty self explanatory. I like this yoga app over others I have had in the past because not only does it show you poses and sequences, you can choose to target a specific portion of your body if you're feeling pain and you can choose the duration of the session if you're on a time crunch.

My last folder is social. I use the Facebook app to keep in touch with family and friends as well as the messenger app to send messages on an almost daily basis to those who live out of town. I love my Tumblr (Follow Me!) so much as I think it's one of those social medias that is suitable for anyone. Twitter (Follow Me!) is probably the app that I use most for browsing and less for using myself. I love to go through and favourite tweets and screen shot ones I like, but I'm not clever nor concise enough to be able to put a coherent thought into 140 characters. Instagram (Follow Me!) is by far one of my favourite social media platforms. I love looking at other peoples photos as well as sharing my own. Snapchat is one of those things I got just because everyone was telling me to, I never really got on the band wagon and I don't really use it too much. I use YouTube to watch my daily subscriptions and for if I open a video through another platform I don't have to have the video open on Safari. I think Pinterest (Follow Me!) is one of my favourite things ever! I love being able to find whatever I want for whatever I want. There's so many amazing things I have discovered all thanks to Pinterest. Lastly I have the Bloglovin' app (Follow Me!). I really love Bloglovin' for its convenience in reading blog posts and for finding new blogs to follow!

So that's all that's on my iPhone! I hope you enjoyed this post and feel free to comment some other apps I should check out!

Monday, 20 April 2015

Everyday Make-up Routine

Just like to put out a little disclaimer that I am not a makeup expert, and I'm not claiming to be, this is just what I like to wear on my face on a daily basis. I prefer a light coverage, very natural look, I hope you like it!

Face Brushes

From left to right there is the real techniques buffing brush, Eco Tools stippling brush, Real Techniques face contour brush, and Eco Tools blush brush.

Face Products

After my moisturizer I use my Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser by Maybelline as a primer (not photographed). I then go in with my Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer to help hide my under eye circles, any redness, and any spots I have. I dot that on and then blend it in to my skin using the Real Techniques buffing brush. I then use my Eco Tools stippling brush to press my NYX powder foundation onto my skin. I add some warmth to my face using the Real Techniques contour brush and the Bourjois Delice de Poudre bronzer. Finishing off the face products, I use my Eco Tools blush brush and apply Ooh baby! pink by Revlon to the apples of my cheeks.

Brows and Highlight

I fill in my brows using the pencil end of the Revlon Brow Fantasy in brunette and then lock them into place with the brown gel on the opposite end of that. I use the highlight only out of this L'Oreal duo. I apply it with my finger above my cheek bones and on my brow bone.

Eye Brushes

From left to right again, I have the Eco Tools eye brow/eye lash brush, the Smashbox eye shadow brush, the Eco Tools fluffy shadow brush, the Real Techniques detailing brush, and the Eco Tools blend and smudge brush.

Eye Shadow

I could rave about this palette for hours, but instead I will just tell you how I use it on a daily basis. To start I just brush through my eyebrows to make sure they're how I'd like them and I brush through my lashes to make sure they aren't tangled and there's no face powder in them. I then use the fluffy end of the Smashbox brush and the cream colour in the bottom row (fourth from the left) and apply that on my whole lid as a primer almost. I have found doing this helps to block out the veins in my eyes. I go in with the shimmer directly above, and using the other end of the Smashbox brush I pack that shimmer shadow onto my eye lid, concentrating mainly on the inner half of the lid and inner corner. After that I use the fluffy shadow brush from Eco Tools and use the dark brown colour on the bottom left for the outer portion of my eye and in the crease. I use the same dark brown shadow to line my eyes using the Real Techniques detailing brush. The final step in this stage is to use the blending end of the last Eco Tools brush to blend the eye shadow so it doesn't look so clowny and segmented on my lid, and then to use the smudging end of the brush to smudge the shadow line so it's not so intense.

Final Touches

After curling my lashes, I go in with my Covergirl LashBlast Volume. I use the waterproof formula for a couple reasons, 1. I like it better than the regular formula, I find it clumps less and helps hold the curl of my lash better and 2. I have awful allergies and sneeze all year round, I don't want to have to worry about my mascara smudging on top of all the other gross things that come along with a sneezing fit (it's not attractive). And the absolute last thing I do on a daily basis is use my Baby Lips Dr. Rescue by Maybelline.

This is the final look of my every day makeup. I really like how natural it is and how neutral it is. This look is quite versatile as you can change the whole essence with a lip colour or an outfit. I also like that it looks good with my glasses (since I can't really see without them). I hope you enjoyed my every day makeup routine!

"Just create something... new, and there it is, and it's you, out in the world outside of you... and you know a little more about you. A little bit more than anyone else does." Welcome to my creation- my corner of the internet. I'm Katelyn and here you will find anything from beauty to fashion to food to life. This is my creation for the world... Please enjoy. xo.